Pretty obvious choice when you think about it. I will quote the last post from the motomatters forum.

"It allows them to address the issues they have. Their biggest issues are hardware and development. The engine freeze and testing restrictions mean it's almost impossible to catch up as a factory entry. The extra fuel and spec software take a couple of variables out of the equation. Once Ducati are much closer with the base bike, they can think about working on software again. Right now, software is at the bottom of their list of priorities."

That is pretty much it. Plus, I would add, yeah they can't use custom software (and get the data from using it obviously) but that doesn't mean they can't still continue developing one, even without the all the race data.

I know they are small compared to the Japanese firms, but remember Yamaha went from being awful to being good simply by allowing JB and VR input into the design of the bike. Rossi rode the 03 bike and immediately wanted more low down grunt, so they came up with 4 designs!

In so many years can Ducati STILL not realise what the problem is, they have had feedback from countless riders. Surely Vale, Dovi, Hayden have been as forthright in their pleas!

The bike is a pup, needs a total start from scratch approach which is seems is what this might be I guess.

OR, it might be Dornas' way of putting pressure on the Japanese to go CRT which is after all what Ezpeleta really wants, (why you get pole and CRT winner in parc ferme ffs). They might have done a deal with Ducati to go this way and force the Japanese hand.

In so many years can Ducati STILL not realise what the problem is, they have had feedback from countless riders. Surely Vale, Dovi, Hayden have been as forthright in their pleas!

I remember reading in Valentino's book (which is pushing a decade now) that he chose Yamaha after leaving Honda because he was allowed to provide input in development. He went to the Ducati factory and said it was like what he had at Honda. That the bike was built by the team and the rider was supposed to ride what they were given by the factory.

Maybe the Duc team is still run that way. Because while Dovi and Hayden are not Rossi, we say Rossi did not regress as much as the Ducati made it look like. Same with Melandri and Gibernau. I don't think they were the issue. Stoner was just that good (I miss that guy for some reason after last season).

Marquez is ragged but I just dont get the same liking, he is far too ruthless for me.

I did read that the Ducati hardly changed its feeling no matter what they did with it for Rossi, frames etc nothing changed the feeling it had, which suggests a totallly inherent chassis design fault or maybe even something wrong with the jogs, metal used.

After a year of evolution in MotoGP which brought them few rewards, Ducati looks set for a radical shake up for next season. Respected Italian website GPOne.com is reporting that Ducati is considering racing in MotoGP as an Open entry, instead of under the Factory option. In practice, Ducati would be free of the engine freeze in place for Factory Option teams in 2014, have 24 liters of fuel instead of 20, and twelve engines per season instead of just five. In addition, they have more freedom to test with factory riders Andrea Dovizioso and Cal Crutchlow. In exchange, they will have to forego the freedom to develop their own software, and will run the spec Dorna-supplied software instead.

Ducati looks set to drop its factory status at the end of next season.

Crutchlow will be happy.

Interesting. Right after Audi had bought Ducati and there was lots of optimism Ducati is finally going to get proper leadership. Perhaps Audi has realized they need to undergo the problems in an entirely different way to become competitive again - and forget about MotoGP in its current way?

Possibly they are looking at it very long-term. Due to dwindling grids it is possible the so-called current "Open" class could be the main class one day after the current MotoGP prototype era has ended due to its expenses. And then Ducati would be in a strong(er) position to be competitive.

I honestly dont believe they have that much interest, certainly not to start splashing cash around deveoping new bikes, building new factories.

Take a look around the bike scene, race replicas are yesterdays news, Audi want a piece of the BMW off road market which is selling far more bikes at the moment than racing does, and you don't have to do much racing to PR them. PLus they have probably seen BMW build the R1000 and sell a ton of them, simply buying Ducati isnt gonna help that much!

If Audi bought Ducati on that basis then they bought a pup! If, however they did as I suspect, buy it to stop someone else buying it, then that is why you are not seeing much in the way of innovation or investment.

All you are seeing at the bike show was a ridiculous bike costing 70 grand that was no better than a standard Panigale, it looked like one of those tricked out AK47's or Uzi's a rich boys toy, what it certainly wasnt was a Desmosidici which is still Ducatis best race bike for the road.

The Marlboro contract ends this year and they know that if the results stay the same MB won't renew. After that a small factory like Ducati won't have enough money to continue as a factory. The open option would be cheaper.

It's more than just running a WSBK team with their bikes, Alstare are also involved in improving their moto2 bikes. It's a full r&d agreement.

Indeed, the manufacturer has been linked to a potential return to World Superbikes in recent months with the new BMW-powered BB3, but reportedly faces a challenge in building the 2000 units required to secure homologation.

so updated WSBK 2014 (based of the currently aviable confirmed informations and rumors)

Provec Kawasaki

Sykes

Baz

Aprilia

Guintoli

Melandri

Feel Racing Ducati

Davies

Giugliano

Crescent Suzuki

Laverty

Alex Lowes

Ten Kate Honda

Rea

Haslam

Team Hero EBRBuell

May

Yates

Yakhnich MV Agusta

Corti

---

Team Toth BMW (confirmed by the rider - team owner's son)

Tóth Jr.

TBA (Evo)

Alstare Bimota (Evo)

Badovini

Iddon

Grillini Kawasaki (Evo)

Fabrizio

Morais

Mahi Kawasaki (Evo)

Foret

MRS Kawasaki (Evo)

Guarnoni

Althea Ducati (Evo)

Canepa

Pedercini Kawasaki (Evo?)

TBA (Aitchison?)

TBA (Andreozzi?)

nor fully confirmed, highly predicted

BMW Motorrad Italia (Evo)

Sylvain Barrier

(Reiterberger)?

Provec Kawasaki (Evo) - maybe with a different team naming

Salom

Unknown Aprilia Team

Elias

Ten Kate Honda (Evo) - maybe with a different team naming

TBA - surely an italian rider

rumored/perhaps

Mesaroli Ducati or Aprilia (maybe only wild card)

Lanzi

Jordan Suzuki

TBA

TBA

Team Lorini Honda (Evo)

TBA

*****

So that is 22 bikes till now, 13 "normal" bikes (all factory) and 9 Evos (7 riders confirmed) + a high chance to 4 more Evo bikes and maybe some other Evos (Lanzi's rumored bike might be a normal bike).

- They will run a 2 bike team. A normal bike for Imre and an Evo for a second rider

- If Sebestyén Péter get the money till the end of this week, he get the Evo ride. If he didn't, an italian or a south african (Quarmby???) rider could get the second bike.

- They will race BMW bikes. They still get the engines (factory engines, one of them has factory electronics) and they will use Öhlins suspension and brembo breaks. He said it will be the same spec that Melandri and Davies use last year, but they got only the engine, not the bike, they have to build own ones

- They choose to move up to WSB because a top WSS bike would cost the same.

Provec Kawasaki is only one bike, for David Salom. Pedercini have Alessandro Andreozzi and Mark Aitchison on Kawasakis, and possibly Toni Elias on an Aprilia if they can come to an agreement.

As reported by the radio station, the Mallorcan rider - who had ridden for Yamaha Factory Racing since his debut premier class season in 2008 - has already given Ducati a ‘yes’ with regards to a preliminary agreement for 2015 onwards, with an alleged offer of 15 million euros per season.

Julien da Costa will do four wildcards in BSB this year with Honda Racing.

Da Costa is Honda's main man for endurance racing, yes? Fits in with their strategy of concentrating on the Endurance World Championship this year if so. Seem to remember him being pretty competitive on the Brit circuits in 2009.